Three years after Middletown buys courthouse building, no agreement with state

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Former Middletown federal court building

MIDDLETOWN – The City of Middletown has yet to move into its new courthouse even though it purchased the former federal court building near the Paramount Theater some three years ago.

To meet state requirements, it must construct an addition to accommodate two large courtrooms.

Mayor Joseph DeStefano said it would cost $6 million to enlarge the building to meet state mandates, but he said he has no plans to ask city taxpayers to foot the bill.

“Especially when a lot of that money is making a room that is nine feet wide, nine-feet-six (inches) wide, and that is the ridiculous part of the plan, or the judge’s bench doesn’t meet state standards because it was a federal judge’s bench,” the mayor said. “That is very minor, but it is the big picture of the operation.”

Currently the city has one formal courtroom adjacent to city hall. The common council chamber doubles as a second courtroom during business hours.




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